Mail-box.



No. 858,509. r V PATENTE'D JULY 2, 1907.,

- MAIL BOX.

, APPLIOATIQN FILED JULY 12. 1906.

Prr'rcmplay FRANK CURTIS GRAHAM, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed July 12,1906. Serial No. 325,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CURTIS GRAHAM, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Youngstown, county of Mahoning, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail-boxes, and it has for its object to provide an extremely simple, convenient and comparatively inexpensive mail-box for domestic use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mailbox which may only be opened from the inner side of the door to which it is attached, thus avoiding or preventing unauthorized tampering with its contents.

With these and other objects in view, the invention finally consists in the particular construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being herein had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, in which like referencenumerals designate like parts throughout the several views I 1 indicates a rectangular hollow casing which is adapted to be secured with its back 2 against the outer face of a door 3 at a convenient point, a lug 4 being provided for having a securing-screw 5 driven there-.

through, as shown. The lower end, or bottom, of said casing 1 is open, while the upper end has rigidly secured thereon a cover 6 having a longitudinal mailopening or slot 7 through which letters or like articles of mail matter may be inserted.

Vertically slidable within the casing 1 and projecting from the lower end thereof is a box consisting of a back 8, sides 9 and a bottom 10, said bottom having a forwardly-projecting front edge 11 adapted to normally fit close against the lower edge of the face of the casing, as shown in the drawings. In the back 8 is a central longitudinal slot 12 through which projects a rivet 13 connecting a longitudinal spring-member 14 to the back 2 of the casing. Said spring-member 14 has a head 15 of greater width than the slot 12, and said rivet 13 has its inner end centrally mounted in said head. Said springmember has a rearwardly-directed integral hook 16 on its lower end adapted for interlocking engagement with the slidable box in a suitable aperture 17 provided in the back 8 thereof at a suitable point below the lower end of the slot 12 for supporting said box in position within the casing 1.

Mounted 'on the inner face of the door 3 at a suitable point is a push-button casing 18 through which projects the outer end of a plunger 19 which extends through a hole 20 in the door, a registering hole 21 in the back 2 of the casing 1, and the slot 12, and abuts at its inner end against the body of said spring-member 14. As is obvious, pressure applied to the outer end of the plunger 19 forces said spring-member 14 back and withdraws the hook 16 from supporting engagement with the slidable box, allowing said box to drop downward, of its own weight, until the edge 22 at the upper end of the slot 12 engages the rivet 13, when said box will occupy substantially the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, admitting of ready removal of the contents. When the box is again raised up, the hook 16 automatically drops into the aperture 17 and rigidly holds said box against displacement. A small opening 23 is preferably provided in the front of the casing 1, and suitably secured over the opening on the inner side is a sight-glass 24 which admits of inspection of the interior of the device without opening the same. In practice, a suitable clasp 25 for holding a name-plate 26 is bolted against the glass 24 on the inner side thereof, the bolts 27 being adapted for holding both the glass and clasp in position. In this position, tampering with the nameplate is prevented.

It will be noted that the push-button casing 18 and plunger 19 are made in similitude to an ordinary electric push-button, and thus not only is a sightly device presented on the inner side of thedoor, but one whose appearance would not indicate nor ordinarily suggest the purpose for which it is intended.

Various slight alterations may be resorted to within the scope of the claims in the minor details of construction and in the arrangement of the parts composing the invention without departing from the general spirit or scope thereof.

Hence I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mail box, the combination with a door, of a casing having a slotted cover andan open lower end, a vertically slidable box within said casing, the back of said box having a longitudinal slot therein and an aperture below said slot, a spring-member within said box, said spring-member being attached to the casing-back with the attaching means projected through said slot, a hook carried by the lower end of said spring-member for engaging said aperture, and means projected throughthe door whereby said spring-member may be sprung back to Withdraw its book from said aperture.

2. In a mail box, the combination with a door or the like, of a casing having a cover and an open lower end, a vertically-slidable box within said casing, said box having a back and a bottom, said back having a longi-' tudinal slot therein 'and an aperture below said slot, :1.

spring-member riveted to the back of the casing and lying close against the inner side of the back of the slidable box, the rivet being projected through said slot, an integral hook carried by said spring-member at its lower end, said hook normally standing in engagement with said aperture for supporting the box, and hookdisengaging means projected through the door.

3. In a mail box, thecombination with a door or the like, of a casing having a cover and an open lower end, a vertically slidable box within said casing, said box having a back and a bottom, said back having a longitudinal slot therein and an aperture below said slot, a rivet carried by the back of the casing, said rivet being projected inwardly through the slot in the box, a springmember having its head centrally mounted on the inner end of said rivet, said head being of greater width than said slot, an integral hook carried by the lower end of said spring-member for supporting engagement with said box in said aperture, and means projecting through the door whereby said spring-member may be forced back to disengage the hook from said box.-

4. In a mail box, the combination with a door or the like, of a casing having a cover and an open lower end, a vertically-slidable box within said casing, said box having a back and a bottom, said back having a longitudinal slot therein and an aperture below said slot, a rivet carried by the back of the casing, said rivet being projected inwardly through the slot in the box, a spring member having its head centrally mounted on the inner end of said rivet, said head being of greater width than said slot, an integral hook carried by the lower end of said spring-member for supporting engagement with said box in said aperture, and a plunger projected through the door and having its inner end in engagement with said springmember whereby the latter may be forced back, withdrawing the hook from the aperture, upon pressure being applied to the outer end of said plunger.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses. FRANK CURTIS GRAHAM. Witnesses ANNIE Mums, M. L. MCCiucKnN. 

